The report nicely points out “the word ‘waste’ is related to the way we behave in the context of the consumer society”: we use and then we throw away – like wasting time. Do you know how many kilograms of waste are produced per person per day in your country? Check out this graph to find out – though it only works if your country actually reports the numbers. Do you think you are average for your country?

Waste is produced in all phases of the production process, from the raw materials to the production, distribution, consumption and even recycling. Even if as “consumers, our relationship to a product happens only during a short phase of its existence.”, there is actually a lot of hidden waste behind it. Have you ever thought about reducing the waste you produce?

Again you can check your country – and this time most of them are available – for how many organic water pollutants are getting into our environment per day. The comission who wrote the report says we “often forget about the possible long-term effects of harmful production practices.” – be it directly for our health or indirectly through pollution of the environment. Do you know what happens when waste ends up in our oceans?

How much time does it takes for a plastic bag, a battery, a leather shoe or a cigarette butt to biodegrade, meaning to disappear? Here is the answer. Compare it to the inside of an average Swiss rubbish bag. You can also see which OECD countries produce more paper, plastic, glass or organic waste. The report points very importantly: “Although our garbage bins represent only a small part of the total waste generated, it is an important part: the one in which everyone can take action.”